GenNEXT: Class of 2017

The GenNEXT Class of 2016. BiS and Savannah magazine are looking for gamechangers. Who are Savannah’s next class of under-40 Rising Stars in business and philanthropy? Photo by Adam Kuehl

Who is Generation NEXT: Savannah’s Rising Stars of Business?

In the turbulent days of Savannah during the 1950s and ’60s, W.W. Law made a name for himself by way of peaceful protest—a protest that carried the segregated South through a nonviolent resistance that altered the face of an already historic city.

An advocate of change, of culture and of community, our way of life today in many ways was molded by Law’s outstretched hand; a hand that was always open to collaboration. At the young age of 27, he became the president of Savannah’s NAACP chapter, and began the road that would lead the city to desegregate its schools, invest in social justice, and open up to much-needed diversity. A few of the greatest words he carried with him were these: “We stand here as a result of a composite contribution.” They would follow him throughout his life.

Savannah magazine and Business in Savannah (BiS) have teamed together for the seventh year in search of our community’s next crop of leaders. Strong philanthropic backgrounds, cutting edge business practices, and creatively sharp minds are always on the bill, but for this year we’ll add another criteria: community gamechanger.

Today, as our city faces new challenges, it is the involvement of its best and brightest that will determine its legacy. In 2017 we aim not only to seek out stellar business acumen, but name the playmakers who will build a stronger community and for this, we are calling on more than genius from 20 of Savannah’s own.